Puentes Al Futuro

Check out the awesome things that the Puentes Al Futuro community program has been up to!

What is Puentes Al Futuro?

• Puentes Al Futuro, also known as Bridges to the Future, is an afterschool program for middle and high school students.
• The goal of the program is to provide a fun and enriching atmosphere for English Language Leaners while giving college students an opportunity to work with learners and gain a lifetime experience.
• It also provides a mutual understanding of cultural competnece, learning new skills and patience for both students and the volunteers.

Lily Egan, a CCE student leader for the middle school Puentes Al Futuro program, shares some of her experience with the kids. "Part of my job title is to teach them hip-hop on Wednesdays which includes fun filled games, stretching and other cherographing a hip hop dance that they will be performing in front of family and friends." These students will have the opportunity to share their new dance skills with their family and friends on Wednesday, December 4.

The middle school Puentes Al Futuro program focuses on activites such as art, homework help, science, percussion and hip-hop dance. The high school Puentes Al Futuro program focuses on activities such as hip-hop poetry, hip-hop dance, computer skills, art and life skills, math and language arts.

The program offers young students an opportunity to work in a positive, fun environment while getting to know both students their own age and Eastern students that serve as great mentors.

Wanted: Eastern Volunteers

Wanted: Eastern Volunteers

 

 

We need your help with 2 community programs! Please contact the CCE at cce@easternct.edu ASAP if interested!

The Windham Middle School Mentor Program: you are paired with middle school students in order to develop a mentor/role model relationship. Eastern students will engage in recreational activities, academic support and conversations around wellness, education and personal self- image. Mentoring activities are from 2:30 to 3:45, but volunteers are welcome to sign up until 4:30 to assist with homework time.

 

Bridges to the Future/Puentes al Futuro: designed for English Language Learner (ELL) students from Windham Middle School and Windham High School. The program participants work with Eastern volunteers and instructors on homework tutoring and then participate in cultural and arts enrichment experiences including folkloric dance, drumming, and journal making about their culture. 

 

The program will be held on different days in different classrooms on Eastern Connecticut State University's campus or at the Windham Middle School or the Windham High School according to the schedule. Detailed information about the program will be provided once students commit to volunteer in any of the program days.

·         Middle School Level Schedule

o    TUESDAY meets at Windham Middle School (Art, Percussion Music and Science)

o    WEDNESDAY meets at Eastern (Hip/Hop Dance)

o    THURSDAY meets at Windham Middle School (TBD)

·         High School Level

o    TUESDAY meets at Eastern (Hip/Hop, Poetry, Cultural Time Line)

o    WEDNESDAY meets at Eastern (Hip/Hop Dance, I am Latino class)

o    THURSDAY meets at Eastern and Windham High School (Art, Life Skills)

Puentes al Futuro Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 1

As adults we know why we love having the Puentes al Futuro Summer Camp here on campus. It gives the kids access to a lot of fun activities (including sports, an indoor swimming pool, and arts and crafts), they can continue working on their academics (English and Math classes occur twice a week each), and they work closely with college-aged counselors who serve as mentors and role models. 

But, do the kids love it? If so, why? To solve these perplexing questions, the camp's English teacher, Jenny, asked the campers to write about why they love camp as a part of the regular newsletter project she is doing with them!

Read below to see what the kids really think. There are some truly heart-warming accounts.

Puentes al Futuro (Bridges to the Future)

Puentes al Futuro (Bridges to the Future) is a grant-funded program for at-risk youth living in Greater Windham, Connecticut. The program is sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement and is staffed by Eastern student volunteers. Below is an account from one of the Eastern volunteers about her experience: 

Puentes met on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week after the students get out of school, on Eastern’s campus as well as at Windham Middle School. Each time we met there was an opportunity to participate in an activity with the students to help them explore their culture, and then we helped them complete their homework. This past semester, on Thursdays, we studied poetry and worked on creating a Puentes-specific cook book. Talking about recipes and foods that are special to the children gave us another chance to share about ourselves and our families. It truly is amazing the type of connection that you build, even though you only spend a small portion of your week with these students. I love the way that Puentes helps students embrace and truly love their culture. The program helps students build a foundation based on understanding themselves and their heritage in order to promote their success in the future. I remember finding out when one of our Puentes students got into Windham Tech, after having applied only a few weeks earlier. Not only was everyone excited that she had chosen to tell us first, but we were so excited to see her become so thrilled about something directly related to her future. 

Guest Post: Kim, '15